Fluid dispensing apparatus



Jan. 23, 1962 R. D. TALARICO 3,018,023

FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27, 1959 TlaJ mvmrron RldolMZTaldJm ORNEY United States Patent 3,018,023 FLUKE DISPENHJG APPARATUSRudolph D. Talarico, 664 Mount Prospect Ave., Newark, N .J raea Feb. 27,rest, Set. No. 796,046 14 Claims. (ill. ZZZ-$94) The present inventionrelates to fluid dispensing apparatus, and, more particularly, to suchapparatus for controlling the discharge of a liquid under pressure froma receptacle.

At present, many liquid products of widespread use and type are sealedunder pressure in a receptacle having a closure controlled dischargeoutlet. The liquid may be dispensed as a stream, a mist or aerosol, or afoam, depending upon its nature and/ or use, such as, for example,shaving lather, insecticide, etc.

In certain instances, because of the construction of the closurecontrolled discharge outlet, the product must be discharged with thereceptacle in upright position and in other instances with thereceptacle in inverted position. This wide variance in use of suchreceptacles has placed the not too careful consumers, who do not readdirections, in a state of utter confusion and has caused loss of theproduct by failure to discharge it properly from the receptacle.

In many instances a very inert gas such as pure ntiro gen is employed asthe presurizing medium. Since only a small amount of nitrogen can beused to pressurize a small receptacle, unless the receptacle is sorugged and massive that it would be ridiculous to suggest its use for aconsumer item, any loss of gas by having the receptacle in the improperposition results in that the gaseous pressure is expended before theentire contents of the receptado are dispensed. Once the pressure isgone, the contents cannot be discharged and are a total loss to theconsumer.

Such loss of gas is occasioned when the receptacle is so held that thepressure head of gas is between the passageway leading to the dischargeoutlet and the body of liquid to be dispensed. For example, a receptaclewith a syphon tube must therefore be held in upright position and areceptacle without a syphon tube must be held in inverted position sothat liquid is between the passageway and the pressure head in bothcases.

This problem is also encountered, but to a lesser degree, wherepressurizing chemicals are employed which are in liquid state and arepartially in solution with the liquid to be dispensed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide apparatusfor dispensing liquids under pressure which overcomes the foregoingdifficulties and disadvantages of using a gaseous pressurizing head.

Another object is to provide such apparatus which prevents the escape ofgas when the receptacle is held in an improper position.

A further object is to provide such apparatus which is simple andcompact in construction, is economical to manufacture and install inclosure controlled discharge outlets, and is reliable in operation.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawing,forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a receptacle with portionsbroken away to illustrate the arrangement ice of the apparatus inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 on FIG. 1,illustrating a valve positioned to allow the liquid to be dispensed.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the valve in aninverted position and positioned to prevent the escape of thepressurizing gas.

Referring to the drawing in detail, there is shown in FIG. 1, by way ofexample, liquid dispensing apparatus which comprises a receptacle 10 forconfining a liquid under gaseous pressure and having a neck 11 at itsupper end formed with an opening, a valved closure 12 of anyconventional type for controlling the discharge of the liquid from anozzle 14, a syphon tube 15 extending from the bottom of the receptacleto the inlet of the valve of the closure 12 in the usual manner, andapparatus 16 in accordance with the present invention connected in thesyphon tube 15 adjacent the upper end thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the apparatus 16 comprises a tubular body orconduit 17 having an inlet 18 at its lower end in fluid flow connectionwith the lower section of the syphon tube and having an outlet port 19at its upper end in fluid flow connection with the upper section of thesyphon tube and being provided with a valve seat 20, a cylinder 21 inthe conduit 17 having a closed lower end 22 and having its upper end 24surrounding the valve seat and secured within a tubular section 25' ofthe conduit, and a piston 26 slidably disposed in the cylinder.

As shown herein, the closed end 22 of the cylinder is spaced from theinlet 18, the cylinder is of smaller diameter than the conduit, and thecylinder is formed with one or more apertures 27 adjacent its upper endto provide a fluid flow passage extending from the inlet 18 to theoutlet port 19.

The piston 26 has a lower section 28 slidably fitted in the cylinder andhas an upper section 29 of reduced di ameter formed with an end face 30which serves as a valve member portion for the valv'e seat 20. Thepiston also has a bore 31 at its lower end for receiving a spring 32which is biased against the closed end 22 of the cylinder and is adaptedto urge the piston upwardly to cause the valve member portion 30 toengage its seat.

In furtherance of the present invention, the piston section 28 isprovided with one or more passageways 34 of capillary dimensions whichextend from the upper side of the piston section to the lower sidethereof and are pervious to gas and are impervious to liquid.Preferably, a large number of such passageways are preferred to enablegas to flow rapidly beneath the piston for the reason about to bedescribed. Since these passageways are so dimensioned that liquid cannotflow therethrough, the combined area of the passageways has nofunctional relation to liquid flow. It is contemplated that the pistonmay be porous to provide such passageways and that the passageways maybe grooves on the periphery of the piston or on the inner wall of thecylinder.

The piston also has a relatively small passage 35 which is impervious toliquid and extends from the bore 31 to the end face 30 to provide a ventfrom beneath the piston to the outlet port 19, whereby the piston canreassume its normal position as will be described hereinafter.

In operation, with the apparatus in upright position as shown in FIG. 1and the valving positioned as shown in FIG. 2, opening of the closure 12causes gas to move liquid upwardly through the syphon tube 15, into theconduit section 17 and into the cylinder 21 by way of the apertures 27to either hold or move the piston down, whereby the liquid is movedupwardly through the port 19 and is discharged through the nozzle 14;

In the event the receptacle is inadvertently held in an invertedposition but with the valving positioned as shown in FIG. 2 and theclosure 12 is opened, gas will ,flow through the syphon tube 15, intothe conduit section 17, into the cylinder 21 and through the passageways314i and to passage 35 to in back of the piston to balance the pressureon both sides of the piston, whereby the force of the spring 32 actingon the piston will move the piston downwardly, as shown in FIG. 3 tocause the end face 30 to seat and closethe port 19 and thereby prevent asubstantial amount of gas from escaping by way of the nozzle. While thesurface of the rear face of the piston appears to be positioned againstthe surface of the end wall 22 of the cylinder so as to close off thepassageways 34, the abutting surfaces have sufficient inherentirregularities therein to allow gaseous fluid introduced by thepassageways 34 to flow therebetween and initiate movement of the pistonaway from the end wall.

After an attempt is made to improperly discharge the contents of thereceptacle and the closure 12 is closed, the gas in back of the pistonis partially vented by way of the passage 35 to the upper portion of thecylinder (FIG. 2) and is fully vented upon initial opening of theclosure 12 the next time the contents are properly discharged, wherebythe liquid under pressure again is effective to move or hold the pistondown.

In practice, it has been found that the valving functions best when thesyphon tube diameter slightly exceeds the diameter of the port 19 toproduce a pressure drop between the inlet 18 and the-port 1-9 which isutilized to act on the piston to unseat the end face 30 thereof. Forexample, the diameter of the syphon tube may be 0.125 inch, the diameterof the port may be .078 inch, and the diameter of four apertures 27 maybe 0.125 inch. In valving so dimensioned and with gas at about 60 psi.in the receptacle, the passageways-34 and the passage 35 may have adiameter of about 0 .003 to 0.005 inch.

The present invention contemplates-that the apparatus may be modifiedfor permitting discharge of the contents with the receptacle in aninverted position and to prevent .discharge when in an upright position.This is accomplished by simply omitting the conduit 17 and the lowersection ofv the syphon tube 15 in communication with the conduit by wayof the inlet 18. 7

Thus, when the receptacle is inverted, liquid under pressure enters thecylinder directly by way of the apertures 27; and, when the receptacleis upright gas enters the cylinder directly, whereby the valvingfunctions to respectively open or close the port 19.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a simple, practical, reliable. and economical mannerof preventing the loss of pressurizing medium utilized for effecting thedischarge of liquids.

While the apparatus has been described in connection with a receptaclefor food or medicinal products byway of example, it will be clearlyunderstood that such apparatus in principal can be employed wheresimilar problems of undesirable gas loss may be encountered.

As various changes may be made in the'form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in any limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a fluid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a receptacle forcontaining a liquid and a gas for pressurizing the liquid to effectdischarge of the liquid from said receptacle, said liquid and said gasfor pressurizing the liquid being disposed in separate layers, adischarge passageway including an outlet for said receptacle, a manuallyoperable closure for controlling flow of liquid through said passageway,and a valve having an inlet for establishing fluid flow communicationbetween the interior of said receptacle and said outlet when thereceptacle is positioned so that the. liquid, under pressure of the gas,is in direct communication with said inlet, and said valve having meansfor closing said outlet when the receptacle is positioned so that thepressurizing gas is in communication with said inlet, said valve beingformed with passageway means pervious to gas and impervious to liquid.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said passageway meanshave capillary dimensions. I

3. In fluid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a conduit forconducting liquid pressurized by a gas having an inlet and an outletport provided with a valve seat, a cylinder in said conduit having aclosed end and an end surrounding said valve seat and having aperturemeans therein for providing flow communication between said conduitinlet and said outlet port, a piston slidably disposed in said cylinderhaving a valve member portion for said valve seat, and means for urgingsaid piston to cause said valve member portion to engage said valv seat,said piston having passageway means extending from one side to the sidefacing said closed cylinder end and being so dimensioned to be perviousto gas and 1mpervious to liquid, whereby liquid under pressure will acton one side of said piston to unseat said valve member portion and gasunder pressure will act on the other side of said piston to seat saidvalve member portion.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said piston has aventing passage extending from its side facing said closed cylinderendto said valve member portion and communicating with said conduitoutlet port when said valve member portion is on its seat. I

5. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the effective area ofsaid inlet is greater than that of said outlet port. I

6. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said conduit has a flowcontrolling valve downstream of said valve seat.

7. The combination according to claim 6, wherein a receptacle has adischarge outlet at its upper end c ntrolled by said last mentionedvalve, and a tube in flow communication with said conduit inletextending to th bottom of said receptacle.

8. Fluid dispensing apparatus comprising a conduit having a portprovided with a 'valve seat, a cylinder in said conduit having one endsurrounding said valve seat and being closed at its other end and havingaperture means therein adjacent the end surrounding said valve seat, apiston slidably disposed in said cylinder having a valve member portionfor said valve seat and having passageway means extending'from one endto the other and being so dimensioned to be pervious to gas andimpervious to liquid, and means for urging said piston to cause saidvalve member portion to engage said valve seat.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said piston has a ventingpassage extending from its end facing said closed cylinder end to saidport.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the effective area of saidaperture means is greater than that of said port.

11. In fluid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a conduit forconducting liquid pressurized by a gas having an inlet and an outletport provided with a valve seat, a tubular element in said conduithaving a closed end and an end surrounding said valve seat and havingaperture means therein for providing flow communication between saidconduit inlet and said outlet port, piston means movably disposed insaid element having a valve member portion for said valve seat, andmeans for urging said piston means to cause said valve member portion toengage said valve seat, said piston means hav ing passageway meansextending from one side to the side facing said closed end of saidelement and being so dimensioned to be pervious to gas and impervious toliquid, whereby liquid under pressure will act on one side fix 1 of saidpiston means to unseat said valve member portion and gas under pressurewill act on the other side of said piston means to cause said valvemember portion to seat.

12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the effective area ofsaid inlet is greater than that of said outlet port.

13. Fluid dispensing apparatus comprising a conduit,

having a port provided with a valve seat, a tubular element in saidconduit having one end surrounding said valve seat and being closed atits other end and having aperture means therein adjacent the endsurrounding said valve seat, piston means movably disposed in saidelement having a valve member portion for said valve seat and havingpassageway means extending from one end to the other and being sodimensioned to be pervious to gas and impervious to liquid, and meansfor urging said 6 piston means to cause said valve member portion toengage said valve seat.

14. Apparatus according to claim. 13, wherein the effective area of saidaperture means is greater than that of said port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS932,604 De Vilbliss Aug. 31, 1909 1,237,144 Allen Aug. 14, 19171,866,909 Schlipf July 12, 1932 1,873,337 Schmitt Aug. 23, 19322,149,611 Lohse Mar. 7, 1939 2,682,356 Allen June 29, 1954 2,876,041Farmer Mar. 3, 1959 2,950,731 Heintzelman Aug. 30, 1960

